Birding Dude: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens NY remains a good bet for White-Faced Ibis...

but for how much longer, given its current state? Yesterday, Brooklyn birder, Sean Sime, found an adult White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens County New York. I tried for it but despite a few hours of searching, came up negative. While searching for the Ibis, Sean and I spent some time enjoying the other birds at the Bay. Some notables included, Tri-colored Heron, Gull-billed Terns and Green Heron. We both discussed the damage to the West Pond and rued about the lack of urgency to fix the breach.

Girl Power!

Today, I returned to the site and re-found the bird with Ann Lazarus, Louis Fraza, Isabel Conte, Kathy Drake and Edith Goren. We enjoyed looks at the White-faced Ibis until it flew off, presumably towards the marsh area near the south gardens. While observing the WFIB, I wondered how many other areas in NYC could boast the good possibility of having a WFIB showing up. Probably none!

Digiscoped White-faced Ibis at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge remains the only reliable place in NYC where a bird like White-faced Ibis could show up and this is just one of the many rarities that the Refuge is known for. Hence, the importance to save and restore the West Pond. Too often, I hear about "what was" and "what if." How about WE CAN and WE WILL. The online petition is just one way to let National Park Service know that the West Pond is too precious a resource to allow further degradation. If you have not yet signed, please consider doing so and encourage others as well. Otherwise, we may not have a place to view specialties such as White-faced Ibis in the near future.